My eyes fluttered open. Listening to the beating of my own heart, I tried to cover my ears, but I didn't have the energy. i I hate the sound of my heart... /i Lifting my head, I slowly glanced around the room. The bright red walls make my heart beat faster, as I think of the same I always do when I see them. I blushed and put my head back down on my pillow, inviting the warmth of the covers. Now thinking about what I should do when I see them today, I started thinking about how to hide it from them for another day. Especially from him. i Sigh... /i I thought as I sit up in my bed, i It's just another day. Another day of lying to them. /i I looked at my digital clock next to me. 9:26. That meant only 28 minutes left to take a shower, brush my hair, get dressed, and head for the special place. i The place where you first spoke to me. /i I bounce out of bed, excited, as I grabbed my things and run towards the shower.

As I put my boots on, I heard voices and the shuffling of feet outside my door. One pair of feet stopped in front of my door. "You still in there?" I heard Roxas say as he knocked. Standing, I zipped up my cloak. "Just a second, Roxas!" I grabbed a box decorated with a red ribbon, slid it in my bag, and ran for the door. As I opened it, Roxas turned around from yelling at Zexion, and says, "About time! Come on, let's go!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" I exclaimed as I step out. I take one last look at the clock before I shut the door. 9:50, which meant I had eight minutes left to get there, since he was always two minutes early.

"Come on, Roxas, let's hurry!" I said as I locked up.

"Oh, so now you're enthusiastic about getting there." Roxas says as we start walking. Along the way, he glances down at the bag. "What'cha got there? Another present for Axel?"

"Shhh! Quiet! Do you want someone other than you to know I have a... ahem...?" I whisper as Marluxia walks by. Blushing, I say, "... Heart!? And yes... It i is /i for him!" Roxas looks at me with an expression of doubt. "You know that we don't have hearts, so you must also know that he won't understand why you're giving it to him!" He glanced at it again. "What is it anyway?" He says, taking a sudden interest in the bag. "It's... uh... none of your business!" I said, but before I could stop him, he took the bag from me. I started battling him over the bag, but he managed to get out the chocolates. As soon as he realized what it was, he smiled and gave it back. I snatched it from him and shoved it back into the bag as we went outside.

"Okay, I'll see you at the meeting." Roxas smiles and chuckles, then starts walking the other way. "Late--"

He looked back over his shoulder at me as I grabbed the back of his cloak with puppy eyes... "Please don't tell anyone I'm giving these to Axel! I'll pay you back a favor later, ANY favor, just promise you won't! It's just too embarrassing!" I say as I look down blushing. When I looked up, I see Roxas looking down as well. He seemed to be concentrating on the gravel path when he says, "Okay... I won't tell... today. I'll... see you around." I let go of his cloak as he starts to walk away. Then I noticed something.

i Wait a minute... Was... Was he blushing?? /i I looked at my watch. i Crap! No time to think about that! I only have 3 minutes left!! /i

As I started running for the place we meet ever day, I thought about it. i If Axel has no heart, then why am I even trying? /i I skidded as I turned a corner. "NO!!!", I whispered to myself. "I have to keep believing, and dreaming on... I know if I can get him to trust me, he will keep my secret when he finds out!!"

I came up on the corner a minute early. I kneeled down, out of breath, and waited for Axel. I stood up straight and moved the hair out of my eyes. "Any second now...", I thought to myself. Then, my heart started pounding wildly. Axel was coming down the stairs! I stood, frozen, like every day prior, as the redhead of my dreams walked up to me every 3 days and would say, "Hey." I blushed and returned his greeting, and started walking with him.

I don't think he ever noticed that I blush every day. He is always daydreaming. We would walk to the meetings together, go on some of our missions together, and sometimes even eat together. He always had his mind on something, and I was always too nervous to ask. I want to know him, but never had the chance to ask before he figured it out. In fact, every time I want to ask him something during the meetings, he would state it before I could. I admired him from afar, and do business with him every 3 days, when we had our meetings. Like that day.

"Oh! Hey, um... Axel?" I asked nervously as we walked along the same path that Demyx walked through. He looked at me "Hm? Yeah?" I looked down, closed my eyes and braced myself, still walking. I slid my hand into the bag and felt around for the chocolates. But just as I found them, Axel said, "Hey!! Watch where you're going you idiot!!!" Then I felt Axel put his hands on my waist as I walked. I opened my eyes in surprise as he lifted me up so carelessly. I blushed and looked at him in confusion and shock as he put me down on his other side. He smirked at me.

"Don't close your eyes when you walk, dummy. It's called i concentrating /i on i where you're going! /i Do I have to repeat myself, or do you have it memorized?" And he laughed. I looked at where I was walking before, and gasped. I was about to fall into the pond. I looked down and saw the smudged footprints where Axel had picked me up-- inches away from the water. And god... Did I hate water... I looked to Axel and smiled in gratitude. He flicked me on the forehead and said,"You klutz."

"Um... Thank you Axel." And with that I pulled out the chocolates and handed them to him. "Consider it a thank you. These could have just been ruined in the water, and after all the trouble of making them... They should be yours."

"Axel took them and said conceitedly, "Thanks. I guess I do deserve them. Heh." And then started daydreaming again as we walked on.

I smiled. "Yeah... You do."

As we walked of the meeting, Axel went through the papers concerning the new mission that was assigned to us. "Looks like we can choose another person to help us. What about Roxas? He didn't get a mission this week. We should put him to work!" Axel said with an evil grin. I laughed and took the papers from him. "So let's see... we need to come up with a map of that Bastion place and come up with an invading plan. Okay... sounds easy enough."

"So... where do you want to work?"Axel leaned back and thought for a moment. "The library is taken by Lexeaus and Vexen, and I hate your room... so how about my place?" He looked at me and said, "How about it?"

"Uh... I don't know..." I leaned against the wall. "Are we inviting Roxas?"

"Ya know I was just kidding about that."

"Oh. Well, I guess it's ok..." I said, I really wanted Roxas there, considering he could help me not to do anything stupid. Axel started walking down the hall, then turned around and smiled. "Then it's a date! Come at 8:00 and no later."

My eyes widened as my face turned red. "H-huh?! A... What?!"

He merely laughed and turned the corner.